An optical disk is a data storage medium which is readable by a laser-based reading device. Optical disks known as "compact disks" or "CDs" have become increasingly popular during the past few years for recording music and audio-video works. Due to the huge storage capacity of optical disks as compared to conventional magnetic storage media, optical disks known as "ROM disks" have become popular for storing computer readable information. However, until very recently, optical disks were of somewhat limited use in the computer industry due to the fact that optical disks could not be "erased" and "written" with new information, i.e. ROM disks are "read only" memory devices. However, recently, magneto-optic disks and other types of optical disks have been developed which are both computer readable and computer writable. Thus, in the future, optical disks are expected to become increasingly more important in the computer industry and may eventually replace magnetically readable and writable storage media such as "floppy disks" and "hard disks." Another recent development, the ability to provide data storage on both surfaces of an optical disk, has effectively doubled the optical disk storage capacity.
Optical disks of the type used in computer applications are mounted in a generally parallelepiped-shaped cartridge. Such a cartridge has a forward end which is generally provided with a ribbed surface portion which is adapted to be grasped between the thumb and index finger of an operator for handling the cartridge. The cartridge is adapted to be readably mounted in a conventional optical disk drive by grasping its forward end and inserting the cartridge, rear-end-first, through a narrow slot provided on the front face of a disk drive.
Currently, most optical disks are hand-inserted into disk drives. However, for large databases consisting of many optical disks, it is preferable, and perhaps essential, to provide an optical disk storage system for storing the disks at known locations, and an optical disk handling system which is capable of retrieving a desired disk from a storage location and inserting the disk in an optical disk drive. In a disk storage system wherein stored disks and an associated disk drive are positioned in longitudinally extending storage locations arranged in a two-dimensional array consisting of vertically extending columns and horizontally extending rows, it will generally be necessary for a disk handling system to engage and move each disk longitudinally, vertically, laterally, and, again, longitudinally in order to remove it from storage, move it into aligned relationship with a disk drive, and insert it into a disk drive. It may also be necessary for the disk handling system to flip the disk to reverse the side thereof which will be positioned in readable relationship with a drive.
Optical disk handling systems and components thereof which are adapted to insert and remove the optical disk cartridges from various storage locations of an optical disk storage system are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,232 issued Mar. 5, 1991 of Methlie, Oliver, Stavely, and Wanger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,093 issued Oct. 29, 1991 of Christie, Wanger, Dauner, Jones and Domal; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/491,286 of Schmidtke, Coffin, Paul, and Christie for MEDIA CARTRIDGE INSERTION APPARATUS FOR A MEDIA CARTRIDGE STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEM, filed on the same day as this application; and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/491,440 of Schmidtke, Coffin, and Christie for TENSIONING DEVICE FOR A FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEMBER, filed on the same day as this application, which are hereby specifically incorporated by reference for all that is disclosed therein. Optical disk handling systems are generally referred to in the industry as "autochangers" or "optical disk juke boxes".
It is desirable that an optical disk handling system be provided with a door for closing the operator access opening. Such a door may provide visual feedback to the operator indicating when a disk may be inserted. When the door is open, the handling system is ready to receive a cartridge. When the door is closed, the system is busy and, thus not ready to receive a cartridge from the operator. The use of a door also prevents contaminants from entering the handling system and the optical disk storage system.
The addition of a door to a cartridge handling system has, however, presented problems. If a door is to be automatic (i.e., capable of indicating when the handling system is ready to receive a cartridge), then it must be powered. In the past, this has necessitated a separate motor or other type of actuator to power the door. The addition of such a separate actuator adds cost and complexity to the handling system.
Door opening mechanisms also tend to occupy considerable space, thus requiring an undesirable expansion of the overall storage system size envelope. Finally, it is often difficult to accurately register the handling apparatus to both the internal mechanisms of the storage apparatus and to a door opening located on the outer surface of the storage apparatus.
It is also desirable that such a door present an aesthetically pleasing appearance from the outside of the storage system.
Thus, it would be generally desirable to provide an apparatus which overcomes these problems associated with cartridge door designs. Similar problems may be encountered with other types of media cartridge handling devices, for example handling devices used with floppy disks, removable hard disks and tapes.